The Nativity at My Home
MariaCristina was born in Santa Marta, Colombia on the day of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. Because of this gift from Heaven, she took a deep love for the Blessed Virgin Mary and, together with her husband and children, she has consecrated her life to Mary. She knows that Our Lady is truly her mom who helps her in all aspects of her life.
At the age of 32, Maria Cristina was diagnosed with breast cancer and began to live a stage in her life full of physical suffering, but also a life filled with grace and blessings. It was then, in those moments of loneliness and isolation, that she was able to experience God’s Love and hear His Voice deep within her heart. Fortunately, the miracle of healing occurred and since then Maria Cristina has dedicated herself to serving the Lord. She knows that nothing comes from herself, but that everything is the product of Divine Grace.
When looking at the Nativity scene in my living room, I find so much generosity, so much tenderness and love…so much so that I don’t want the year to end without having written what my heart feels this Christmas.
I look at the mother, my mother, with her peaceful and sweet gaze as she looks upon her little child. She is surely amazed at the presence of God himself who has been born or her pure womb. I imagine she is repeating, “For the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.” (Luke 1:49) I look at her spouse, also ecstatic, surely in anguish for not being able to create more comfort for the Messiah and his Mother, and I thank him for taking care of them and for conveying his peace to them.
Mother, I thank you for allowing God’s will to work within in you and through you for it has brought me salvation, and now, in this precise place and in this moment, I am ready to give my “yes” to God. I am so grateful to you, Mother, for your sacrifice, devotion and love and I ask you to forgive me because, for my many sins, your beautiful and pure baby was nailed to a cross, transforming your joyous face into bitterness and pain. I want to imitate you, Mary, and wish that God’s will be done unto me. Blessed be you holy Mother Mary, the Immaculate Conception and ever virgin!
Next, I fix my gaze on Joseph and remember that Pope Francis, letting himself be guided by the Holy Spirit, declared this the Year of St. Joseph so all of us could get to know Jesus’ foster father better. I have learned many beautiful things about you, blessed St. Joseph, prudent, just and obedient man, and there is much love and gratefulness in my heart for you. How many beautiful things I learned about you, and how much love and gratefulness there is in my heart for you, blessed St. Joseph, prudent man, just and obedient. I have known you as tender and fragile and I now understand that it is through our frailty that most of God’s designs are realized. Thanks to you, I now know that I don’t have to understand everything that is happening, but instead, despite all that is going on, I need to trust in God’s plan and power. As I look at you the example of your life makes me repeat, “I have no fear.” Blessed are you, St. Joseph!
My eyes now rest on you, baby Jesus, so frail and small. You come in the form of a child, because if you came as you are, no creature could withstand your omnipotence. Being the King, you come naked, in the utmost poverty, surely so that I may offer to welcome you, embrace you and dress you. You come reminding me that your Kingdom is not of this world, and that it’s precisely to that other world that I should want to belong, now and forever. Are you cold? My sweet child, let me warm you up with this fire of love that you have enkindled in my heart. I want you to come, to enter and to stay with me and in me. Since I know that it’s not your desire to keep going along, I hurry to prepare a place where you would want to recline your most holy little body. I want everything to be clear for your arrival. I want my heart to be a nativity scene without rancor, resentment, hatred, jealousy or any other thing that doesn’t belong to you. I want to come to meet you because I know that your ultimate end goal is me and I will not let you wait.
It is here… Christmas is here… and it is nothing more than the encounter of the creatures with their Creator, and that means my encounter with you, my beloved Jesus. Here I am. I wait for you. Come Lord, come. Don’t take too long!
